Little London in the middle of Nørregade
We dare say that you have never been to a store quite like this before. A spiral staircase, church chandeliers, a gallery, a grand piano, and a draft beer bar are some of the elements found in Herrernes Magasin's suit temple in Nørregade.
Strandvejsavisen had an audience with David K, who for 20 years has matched men with suits. He has won 4 awards for the best men's fashion store of the year among AOK.dk's readers, all the way from 2001 until today.
Sense and Sensibility
David K has learned a lot about Danish men since 1993.
"Men fundamentally dislike buying suits. Therefore, honesty and advice have become important for many men who feel out of their depth in the fashion world. We cannot sell the optimal suit to a customer unless we have disarmed them and created a pleasant atmosphere. We make our living selling navy blue suits for business and party occasions.
But we live to push our guests a little closer to their unfulfilled potential. Our typical guest starts by shopping sensibly, and if we do well enough, he also gets a bit of a style makeover – in a direction he truly loves."
New Year's Makeover and Knight's Crosses
Carpenters, Freemasons, party leaders, comedians, and chefs all come to Nørregade 20 to challenge their habits, or to adhere to formalities.
"We are extra busy when the court is filled with talented men and women," David chimes in, sharing a moving anecdote about the butcher from Kultorvet, who, shortly before his death last year, received the Knight's Cross, dressed in a tailcoat from Herrernes Magasin. "He was a happy and proud man in his last months."
The store is constantly replenished with new collections, most of which are sourced a bit further afield from Denmark, in Italy, Spain, France, USA & England. The brands are unknown among Danes; only a few were familiar to Strandvejsavisen.
"It's entirely intentional that the brands are unknown. Most men would gravitate directly to the brand and the style prevalent in that universe. I am against that. I believe we deserve diversity; we end up more well-dressed by mixing designers' collections."
Good Morning Denmark
Since 2012, David K has been part of the men's fashion team on TV2. David presents fashion suggestions, sometimes themed for things like festivals or summer shoes, other times more about trendspotting. "It's very time-consuming, but I still learn a lot during the intensive preparation days before a segment on 'Good Morning.' The editorial team sometimes sets challenges, for example, on price: the best blazer style for under DKK 1000. Then both style and purchasing must align; I love being under pressure."
We leave the interview with David Krarup. He needs to choose a suit for himself now. Tonight, Stephen Devinchi is celebrating his 60th birthday here in Copenhagen. "Stephen and Rufus Gifford are regulars in the store and have introduced virtually all their friends to our little suit shop. These two have changed their style enormously, one suit at a time. There's nothing like the positive reactions from the outside world to your new style; it takes courage to take the first step. After that, it's smooth sailing," David K concludes as he heads out the door, disappearing into the hustle and bustle of Nørregade.
